Architectural panels including elongated thermoplastic members

Abstract

Implementations of the present invention relate to for incorporating virgin or recycled thermoplastic resin materials into architectural thermoplastic panels that have ordered and reproducible geometric patterns. More specifically, at least one implementation provides a method for fusing thermoplastic elongated members, such as circular rods and rectangular bars, sourced from recycled thermoplastic resin to form the architectural thermoplastic panels.

We claim: 
     
       1. An architectural thermoplastic panel comprising:
 a plurality of solid thermoplastic elongated members fused together, wherein the plurality of solid thermoplastic elongated members comprise:
 a first solid thermoplastic elongated member having a first color and being formed of a single, solid, and generally uniform material through a cross-section thereof; and 
 at least a second solid thermoplastic elongated member having a second color differing from the first color and being formed of a single, solid, and generally uniform material through a cross-section thereof, wherein:
 both the first and second solid thermoplastic elongated members have a single identical glass transition temperature; 
 the first and the second solid thermoplastic elongated members abut each other and are fused together along their lengths; 
 the first and the second colors do not bleed into each other; and 
 each solid thermoplastic elongated member of the plurality is oriented and extends from one end to an opposing end of the entire length or width of the architectural thermoplastic panel, wherein the solid thermoplastic elongated members are displayed as an outside decorative surface of the thermoplastic panel. 
 
 
 
     
     
       2. The architectural thermoplastic panel as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the solid thermoplastic elongated members comprise a recycled thermoplastic resin material. 
     
     
       3. The architectural thermoplastic panel as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising a thermoplastic sheet fused to the plurality of solid thermoplastic elongated members. 
     
     
       4. The architectural thermoplastic panel as recited in  claim 3 , wherein the thermoplastic sheet fused to the plurality of solid thermoplastic elongated members forms at least one surface of the architectural thermoplastic panel. 
     
     
       5. The architectural thermoplastic panel as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the at least two different colors of the solid thermoplastic elongated members define an elongated color that extends the entire length or width of at least one surface of the architectural thermoplastic resin panel, wherein a pattern of the architectural thermoplastic resin panel comprises a plurality of sections. 
     
     
       6. The architectural thermoplastic panel as recited in  claim 5 , wherein color from any section is not smeared onto any adjacent section. 
     
     
       7. The architectural thermoplastic panel as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic elongated members comprise resin rods having circular cross-section shapes. 
     
     
       8. The architectural thermoplastic panel as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic elongated members comprise bars. 
     
     
       9. The architectural thermoplastic panel as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the architectural thermoplastic panel comprises 100 percent post-consumer recycled material. 
     
     
       10. The architectural thermoplastic panel as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising one or more non-thermoplastic elongated members fused between the plurality of solid thermoplastic elongated members. 
     
     
       11. The architectural thermoplastic panel as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the one or more non-thermoplastic elongated members are formed of metal or glass. 
     
     
       12. The architectural thermoplastic panel as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the one or more non-thermoplastic elongated members have a higher tensile or compressive strength than the plurality of solid thermoplastic elongated members. 
     
     
       13. An architectural thermoplastic panel comprising:
 a plurality of solid thermoplastic elongated members fused together, wherein the plurality of solid thermoplastic elongated members comprise:
 a first solid thermoplastic elongated member being formed of a single, solid, and generally uniform material through a cross-section thereof, the first solid thermoplastic elongated member extends from a top end to a bottom end of the architectural thermoplastic panel; and 
 a second solid thermoplastic elongated member being formed of a single, solid, and generally uniform material through a cross-section thereof, wherein: 
 both the first and second solid thermoplastic elongated members have a single identical glass transition temperature; 
 the first and the second solid thermoplastic elongated members abut each other and are fused together along their lengths; and 
 both the first and second solid thermoplastic elongated members are viewable on a facing surface of the architectural thermoplastic panel as well as a cross-section thereof, wherein at least some of the thermoplastic resin members are displayed at an outside surface of the architectural thermoplastic panel. 
 
 
     
     
       14. The architectural thermoplastic panel as recited in  claim 13 , further comprising a thermoplastic sheet having a first side fused to a first side of the fused together first and second solid thermoplastic elongated members. 
     
     
       15. The architectural thermoplastic panel as recited in  claim 14 , wherein the plurality of solid thermoplastic members further comprise fused together third and fourth solid thermoplastic elongated members, the third and fourth solid thermoplastic elongated members being fused to a second side of the thermoplastic sheet opposite the first and second solid thermoplastic elongated members. 
     
     
       16. The architectural thermoplastic panel as recited in  claim 13 , wherein the first solid thermoplastic elongated member has a first color and the second solid thermoplastic elongated member has a second color differing from the first color. 
     
     
       17. The architectural thermoplastic panel as recited in  claim 16 , wherein the first and the second colors do not bleed into each other. 
     
     
       18. An architectural thermoplastic panel comprising:
 a plurality of solid thermoplastic elongated members fused together, wherein the plurality of solid thermoplastic elongated members comprise:
 at least a first solid thermoplastic elongated member having a first color, and being formed of a single, solid, and generally uniform material through a cross-section thereof, the first solid thermoplastic elongated member extends from one end of the architectural thermoplastic panel to an opposing end; and 
 at least a second solid thermoplastic elongated member having a second color differing from the first color, and being formed of a single, solid, and generally uniform material through a cross-section thereof, the second solid thermoplastic elongated member extends from one end of the architectural thermoplastic panel to the opposing end; 
 wherein: 
 each solid thermoplastic elongated member of the plurality provides a linear segment pattern along the entire length or width of the architectural thermoplastic panel that is defined by a length, width, and color of the solid elongated member; and 
 the pattern provided by the length, width, and color of the first solid thermoplastic elongated member is different from the pattern provided by the length, width, and color of the second solid thermoplastic elongated member, wherein the solid thermoplastic elongated members are displayed as an outside decorative surface of the thermoplastic panel. 
 
 
     
     
       19. The architectural thermoplastic panel as recited in  claim 18 , wherein each of the solid thermoplastic elongated members comprise a recycled thermoplastic resin material. 
     
     
       20. The architectural thermoplastic panel as recited in  claim 18 , further comprising a thermoplastic sheet fused to the plurality of solid thermoplastic elongated members. 
     
     
       21. The architectural thermoplastic panel as recited in  claim 20 , wherein the thermoplastic sheet comprises a different glass transition temperature than that of the solid thermoplastic elongated members. 
     
     
       22. The architectural thermoplastic panel as recited in  claim 21 , wherein the thermoplastic sheet is fused between the plurality of solid thermoplastic elongated members, such that the plurality of solid thermoplastic elongated members are fused on opposing side of the thermoplastic sheet. 
     
     
       23. The architectural thermoplastic panel as recited in  claim 18 , wherein the architectural thermoplastic panel comprises 100 percent post-consumer recycled thermoplastic material. 
     
     
       24. The architectural thermoplastic panel as recited in  claim 18 , further comprising:
 one or more non-thermoplastic elongated members incorporated between the plurality of fused solid thermoplastic elongated members; 
 wherein the one or more non-thermoplastic elongated members have a higher tensile or compressive strength than the plurality of solid thermoplastic elongated members.